Counselor Info-Gram
007-2016
Date: 15 July, 2016
Subject: Vendor Information Page (VIP) Temporary Shutdown
Summary:
The VA Veterans First verification program is undergoing a transformation in response to feedback provided by VOSB. The modifications and enhancements will result in significant changes to our application process to improve the Veteran experience as we establish “My VA Verification.” The changes also will involve our management information system for the Vendor Information Pages (VIP).
The magnitude of these changes compels us to take VIP off-line commencing 8:00 a.m. on Thursday, August 11th until 8:00 a.m. Monday, August 22nd. During the period VIP is off-line, firms will not have access to their profile, and CVE will not be able to process applications. Firms will not be able to commence the reverification process or submit a change request to modify any aspect of the firm’s profile/status. Additionally CVE will be unable to accept new verification applications. For this reason, we strongly encourage firms whose eligibility expires before October 15, 2016, and firms that desire to submit a request to update any aspect of its status or profile do so as soon as possible, as CVE will not be able to grant any extensions of eligibility due to the temporary hiatus in verification processing. Additionally, we recommend firms interested in submitting a verification application do so as soon as possible.
During the VIP outage, the CVE Call Center/Help Desk will continue to be available to assist callers with information only. The Call Center/Help Desk telephone number is 866-584-2344; and its time of operations will continue to be 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
When VIP is back online, and we have completed the modifications and enhancements mentioned earlier, you can expect the MyVA verification process to provide an improved Veteran experience in keeping with the principles of My VA established by Secretary McDonald. CVE remains committed to focusing on the Veteran and being an organization which fulfills the values of ICARE – Integrity, Commitment, Advocacy, Respect, and Excellence.
Please direct any questions or concerns to your Verification Support Liaison at (202) 632-9099 or email verificationcounselor@va.gov.

After 20 years of engineering across the state, VENCOR Engineering is achieving new growth thanks in part to their work with the New Mexico Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP). Led by President Hector Vasquez, a visionary who set his sights on future growth, the SBA 8(a) firm has achieved new success. Mr. Vasquez recently announced the establishment of VENCOR Construction to complement the expertise and demand for VENCOR Engineering.

Most of the work requires rapid response and cost-effective solutions with intense project management. As a PTAP client, Mr. Vasquez stays on top of networking and contracting opportunities offered by PTAP. He has successfully grown his company over the years and built an impressive range of past performance history. His credits include federal, state and local contracts.

In 2010 VENCOR Engineering, LLC was retained by the Lower Rio Grande Public Water Works Authority (LRGPWWA) to plan, design, permit, administer and record the construction installation of the Berino – Mesquite / Del Cerro Water Systems Improvement (BMDC) Project in Dona Ana County, NM. The 32 mile, $7.2 Million water pipeline project required 22 months to install and involved inter agency coordination that included the US Department of Agriculture-Rural Development (USDA-RD), New Mexico Environment Department (NMED), NM Water Trust Board, NM Department of Transportation (NMDOT), Dona Ana County and the Elephant Butte Irrigation District (EBID).

Private entity and permit filing involved BNSF Railroad and the Kinder Morgan Pipeline Utilities Corporation. The successful design and installation of this monumental water line project is already improving the quality of life of thousands of Dona Ana County valley residents.

Most recently, VENCOR Engineering, LLC entered into a subcontracting agreement with another PTAP client for a construction project with the City of Las Cruces.

Mr. Vasquez is always willing to serve his community as well and participated in a Career Fair at the Dona Ana Community College in Las Cruces where he spoke to job seekers about interview techniques. He continues to be very enthusiastic about job growth within his own organization and always maintains a positive, progressive attitude. Most importantly, he stays on top of opportunities for training, networking or contracting notices sent out by PTAP.
If you want to know more about PTAP, click here.

PTAP wants to make small business owners aware of a significant, and positive, change to the WOSB/EDWOSB Program: the number of industries has been expanded by over 30% (as measured by the addition of North American Industry Classification System [NAICS] Codes). On March 3, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) changed its rules for the Women-Owned Small Business (WOSB) program in two ways: 1) They increased the number of eligible NAICS codes and 2) They dramatically increased the percentage of NAICS codes for WOSB compared to those for Economically-Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business (EDWOSB).

The background on what prompted the SBA to make these changes is interesting. An amendment to the Small Business Act in 2014 mandated that a new analysis of industries be performed to assess where Woman-Owned Small Businesses are under-represented. The SBA asked the U.S. Department of Commerce to assist with the required study and it was published at the end of 2015. You can read an Article about the report and you can Read the full report using the links in blue.

The report is a valuable read for any small business doing Federal contracting, illuminating the factors that correlate with winning Federal awards. The report made it very clear that woman-owned businesses struggle to win Federal awards at an alarming disadvantage when compared to their competitors. As the only de facto NAICS-driven SBA contracting program, a positive corrective action comes in the expansion of the NAICS codes available for WOSB/EDWOSB set-asides. The industries covered by the combination of both programs increased significantly and there was a movement toward fewer codes being limited to the EDWOSB only. The table below compares the number of NAICS codes in the 2012 list put out by the SBA compared to the number of codes in the 2016 list.

2012

2016

Program

# of 6-digit
NAICS codes

EDWOSB

169

81

WOSB

136

365

Total Codes

305

446

Only 21 codes were eliminated entirely from the program and with the exception of several codes involving paper product manufacturing, very few of the eliminated codes represent significant government contracting potential (e.g., 488111 Air Traffic Control). There are over 140 new 6-digit codes and most importantly for our PTAP clients here in New Mexico, many construction related codes are now in the program (along with new medical and education industry codes). The EDWOSB now includes waste management and some telecom industry codes.

As mentioned in our February 25th article in the news stream below, the SBA continues to gather feedback on the implementing regulations for changes to the WOSB/EDWOSB Program written into law in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2015 (NDAA). Those of us in the industry await the final publication of the rules adding sole-source contracting authority to WOSB/EDWOSB firms as well as potentially removing the self-certification process.

If you are 51% woman-owned and have not looked into the WOSB/EDWOSB Program before, consider contacting PTAP for an appointment to assist you with how to apply so that you get ahead of the anticipated rush; if you are already certified (either self or third party) you should also contact PTAP to ensure your industry/primary NAICS code remains within the program when the 2016 codes go into effect.

Montech, Inc. has been named the Star Client for the Procurement Technical Assistance Program (PTAP) for the year 2015. Principal Monica Jojola and owners of other star client businesses in the New Mexico Small Business Development Center network will be honored at a reception at La Fonda on the Plaza in Santa Fe on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 from 5:30 to 7:30 pm. All Star Clients will be introduced on the floors of the State House and State Senate the following morning.

A New Mexico PTAP client since January 2013, Montech, Inc. serves as an example of how clients attain success. Montech’s primary PTAP counselor Diane Kimbrell Howell says, “Ms. Jojola is doing everything right; she began her business in the staffing industry that she had worked in for years and she started small by seeking sub-contracting opportunities to build her past performance. That track record ultimately demonstrated not only to the SBA 8(a) certifiers (that recently issued her certification in the business development program), but also to the USAF customers here locally that have now awarded her two separate contract vehicles for staffing services. Ms. Jojola not only understands the importance of demonstrated capability, she also has a commitment to marketing discipline, maximizing every opportunity for prospective customer interaction.”

The owner also credits her strategic partnerships and nearly two decades of federal contracting that have led Albuquerque-based Montech Inc. to success since its inception in 2011. The 100 percent American Indian-owned corporation provides federal and state agencies, tribal governments and commercial clients a high-quality workforce and support services for newly awarded projects.

Company Principal Monica Jojola of Isleta Pueblo initially began her business consulting after working at Datacom Sciences and Chickasaw Nation Industries (CNI) for more than 15 years. As director of Business Development at CNI, Ms. Jojola interfaced at the highest federal levels, including briefing commanding officers at the Pentagon and negotiating with senior executives.

“Mid-point in my career, I knew I could build a business earning government contracts,” said Ms. Jojola, who resigned from CNI on a Friday and went to start her own company the following Monday. “With the experience I had gained, I was not quite as fearful of building something on my own.”

As Ms. Jojola began this new venture, she was also acquiring partners and started organizing personnel and resources for the partners that were awarded multimillion competitive contracts. Now Montech is also prime contractor with full-time and part-time employees, including a Catholic priest and a Protestant Religious coordinator who worked at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB).

“The Procurement Technical Assistance [Program] played a key role in my providing religious services at Kirtland Air Force Base (KAFB). While assisting another client, PTAP learned of the base’s need to contract out some religious services requirements. That need would have caused an undue burden on existing personnel for the services by requiring them to start a new company, complete all the necessary registrations, provision back office services and learn how to be fully compliant with all the various statues and regulations, both Federal and state.

PTAP approached my firm and the KAFB customers with a potential solution that was a win for all parties involved: Montech took on the personnel under a staffing contract. Other businesses may not have wanted to take on such small contracts, but ultimately Kirtland awarded Montech multi-year contracts for both religious assemblies. The assistance from the PTAP Albuquerque and Bernalillo offices was invaluable.

The business relationships that you build while doing this work are incredible. These people become your long time partners,” according to Ms. Jojola, who received SBA 8(a) certification in July 2015.

In early 2016, Montech, Inc will be awarded another multi-year contract that PTAP assisted her with – this one for staffing services to provision health and fitness instructors to KAFB.

The first step in pursuing government contracts is registering in the System for Award management (SAM), the federal government’s vendor database. There is never a fee to register as a government contractor. For more information, read the Blog written by the Association of Procurement Technical Assistance Centers.

Los Alamos, NM— Sigma Science Inc. (SSI) was recognized for outstanding work on projects by Bechtel’s Nuclear, Security & Environmental global business unit at the Bechtel Subcontractor and Supplier Recognition awards. The awards recognize subcontractors and suppliers who supported Bechtel‘s work in nuclear power, environmental clean-up, defense, and nuclear security and operations projects during 2014.

“Our vendors, subcontractors, and suppliers are integral team members on our projects and they do amazing, innovative work in extremely difficult places,” said Craig Albert, president of the Nuclear, Security & Environmental business unit. “These award recipients not only met our high standards for quality and performance but also went above and beyond for mission delivery.”

SSI received this award for consistently providing the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) exemplary service and unique capabilities in nuclear safety bases development and implementation, nuclear criticality safety analysis, engineering, operations, project management and environmental management.

Companies were evaluated on multiple factors. They include: overall performance; the ability to deliver quality services/supplies on time; the ability to work collaboratively to meet milestones; and meeting or exceeding project expectations in aspects of safety, construction performance, technical expertise, and environmental compliance. Nominations were reviewed and approved by Bechtel procurement and project managers. Final recommendations were approved by senior leadership.

About Sigma Science Inc.

SSI’s focus on technical excellence, personal integrity and quality, begins with our employees. Our disciplined approach for hiring technical experts with strong interpersonal skills is combined with a commitment to understanding the needs of our clients. As a result, we have been able to establish strong employee loyalty and retention, as well as, close and continuing relationships with our clients. Over the last 19 years, SSI has taken a disciplined approach of building from our original nuclear capabilities in order to provide a variety of technical and professional services to government and private sector clients nationwide. SSI was certified as an 8(a) small business on November 15, 2013. www.sigmasci.com

About Bechtel:

Bechtel is among the most respected engineering, project management, and construction companies in the world. We stand apart for our ability to get the job done right—no matter how big, how complex, or how remote. Bechtel operates through four global business units that specialize in infrastructure; mining and metals; nuclear, security and environmental; and oil, gas, and chemicals. Since its founding in 1898, Bechtel has worked on more than 25,000 projects in 160 countries on all seven continents. Today, our 53,000 colleagues team with customers, partners, and suppliers on diverse projects in nearly 40 countries. www.bechtel.com

A bat gate NFI, Inc., has built to allow bats to fly in and out of their habitat.

When a prime contractor asked Margaret Nava and her husband, Tony Nava, owners of NFI, Inc., if they could seal an abandoned mine while on a job, their answer was yes. It wasn’t long after that the Albuquerque based-firm began to create a business out of closing abandoned mines throughout the Southwest.

According to NFI, there are about 1,500 abandoned mines in New Mexico and more than a half million in the United States. NFI has closed more than 330 mines in the region, including in spots at Lake Mead, Nevada; Coronado National Monument in Arizona; Paris Mill in Colorado; Marble Canyon in Death Valley in California; and along the U.S.-Mexico border in Arizona. All the closures meet Environmental Protection Agency, and other federal and state requirements. They also contain special bat gates to allow the animals to fly freely into their habitat but closes off the entrance to humans or large animals so that it doesn’t pose a risk.

So many abandoned mines remain on public lands after the Gold Rush and extensive mining for metals to support World War II. Some of the large holes are faux mines created by swindlers who wanted to sell land for a premium.

Since 2005, NFI, which started as a general contracting company, began performing subcontract services and now does work for the EPA, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Forest Service and the National Park Service. The company hires students who have earned or are earning a welding certificate from the Job Corps, a free education and training program that helps young people, many who are at-risk, learn a career, earn a high school diploma or GED.

In 2011, the company received its 8(a) certification and has been certified as an Economically Disadvantaged Women-Owned Small Business with PTAP’s help. Margaret Nava also had some help from a mentor of sorts, another seasoned government contractor a PTAP advisor recommended to her who helped her navigate the contracting world with a lot of positive, helpful feedback.

While NFI has had contracting success, Margaret Nava said she’s been most grateful to give back through her company by hiring Job Corps students.

“It’s important to have a company that can work with them and the patience to work with them,” she said. “We want them to make good wages and feed their families—that’s one of the things I’m most proud of.”

When the residential construction business began to take a dive as the U.S. economy started to tumble in 2008, Lawrence and Laura Fierro needed to find something else to keep their business, Fierro Enterprises, LLC, going strong.

The Fierros, custom homebuilders for residential customers in Las Cruces, started looking into government contracts with the help of Senior PTAP Advisor Elke Mosholder after meeting her at an event.

One of the Fierros’ first contracting jobs was with the U.S. Army, replacing a septic tank in the wilderness near Cloudcroft. Other jobs include adding safety doors and air conditioning to the guard shacks for Las Cruces Public Schools. The company has also worked for New Mexico State University remodeling the Corbett Center Student Union, and the Center for Countermeasures at the White Sands Missile Range installing the heating, venting and cooling systems, among other projects.

Laura Fierro said for the past few years she and her husband have made the hour-long drive to Alamogordo to see Elke for help on bids, making sure that all the information is correct, and guidance on what questions to ask and which contracting officer to follow up with.

“When you first start contracting, understanding how the building process works to the government specifications and the requirements is a learning curve. It’s also very complex as far as the paperwork,” Laura Fierro said. “When you get that first contract there is no one to teach you how to do it and you have to learn how to do it on your own. But that’s where PTAP comes in very handy.”

In 2011, the company obtained 8(a) status and since has built structures and had other projects, including plumbing, road and flood control work at White Sands.

Although it was challenging in the beginning, the Fierros have enjoyed the federal work.

“The best part has been the opportunity to branch out into a different market that we didn’t even know existed,” Laura Fierro said. “We were able to put our name out there in a different setting of construction. And it’s been steady—it’s been positive growth for the company to learn a different division of the industry. It’s been good.”

The Fierros offer this advice to small business owners who are interested in federal contracting: “Prepare and get well organized. You have to follow the government requirements to the T. You need to have very good communication skills, and be very conscientious about timelines,” said Laura Fierro. “That’s how you will succeed.”

Since 1978, when Congress gave Section 8(a) of the 1958 Small Business Investment Act a clearer vision and criteria, thousands of small businesses in America have applied for and have been granted 8(a) status. The authorization allows minority-owned companies, those owned by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, to obtain a footing in contracting with federal agencies. In 1988, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) program was further simplified, emphasis was placed on planning and providing the service, and a term limit of nine years was implemented.

The benefits of applying for 8(a) status, according to the SBA, include:

Participants can receive sole-source contracts, up to a ceiling of $4 million for goods and services and $6.5 million for manufacturing.

8(a) firms are also able to form joint ventures and teams to bid on contracts. This enhances the ability of 8(a) firms to perform larger prime contracts and overcome the effects of contract bundling, the combining of two or more contracts together into one large contract. The SBA also has a Mentor-Protégé Program for beginning 8(a) companies to learn the ropes from other more experienced businesses.

For the last eight years, I’ve been helping New Mexico companies with 8(a) applications through one-on-one counseling. I can tell very quickly by talking with a business owner if his or her company is ready to apply for 8(a) status. My questions to him or her might include:

Has the company been in business for at least for two years?

Do you have a good recordkeeping system? Do you keep regular financial statements, and do you understand what those financial statements are telling you?

Has the company been involved in government contracting previously?

Do you have a past performance statement, a record of the work you did for the government or other entity, the amount received, what you did, and the date?

Do you have cash reserves or a line of credit, or the ability to obtain a loan for contract needs before you receive payment from the government?

If the answer is no to one or more of these questions, then the business is not ready to submit an application for 8(a). Some of the requirements of the SBA program include that the company has to be in business for at least two years and has to keep good records for accounting purposes. Since the 8(a) program has a limit of nine years, it helps to understand the federal contracting process and be ready when an opportunity arises. I ask about financial reserves because often times payment won’t be delivered until the job is completed.

Other items that I ask for to determine qualification:
• Business and personal tax returns from all owners owning 10% or more of the business.
• Business structure paperwork (LLC, partnership agreement, or corporate paperwork, including articles of incorporation and operating agreements),
• Business financials—balance sheets and income statements for last fiscal year,
• A completed personal financial statement for qualifying individual and spouse.

These items will help me further determine whether a business is eligible because this is where we find any discrepancies in documentation to be submitted. The SBA will scrutinize everything and do its own background checks, so this is where I try to identify and avoid problems. When we identify weaknesses in a business, the applicant can fix any problems before 8(a) submission.

As you can tell, the process to apply for 8(a) status is a long, tedious process. When a client is finished gathering the paperwork, often he or she will have a packet two to three inches thick. Once the paperwork is submitted, there are only two SBA offices in the country that review and validate the application. New Mexico applicants will be sending their applications and supporting documentation to the San Francisco office.

Once you get through the process, not only do you have more contracting opportunities, you will have fixed many of your businesses weaknesses through the process.

PTAP hosts several Government Certifications workshops a year, and the 8(a) process is explained in those workshops. The majority of those workshops are in Albuquerque, but sometimes will be in other locations around the state. Check out the PTAP website to see when and where the next workshop is scheduled. I will be glad to assist you in any way I can. Call or email me to set up a one-on-one appointment today. My office phone is (575) 935-7827 and my email is jonnie.loadwick@sfcc.edu.

Obtaining 8(a) certification is quite a process, but the rewards can be great. PTAP can help.

For the past seven years, Robert and Becky Lee of Alamogordo have been using a specialized procedure to clean grout, tile and carpet for both commercial and residential customers in Southern New Mexico.

“Our first customer was White Sands. I just drove in and talked to them. They laughed at me when I told them what I could do,” said Robert Lee describing how his machine, which uses heat and just the right amount of water pressure can remove gum and other tough substances without ruining concrete or other hard surfaces. It also cleans carpets. “They said, ‘OK, show us,’ and I did it. We’ve been doing it about twice a year ever since. They still haven’t found anyone who can do what we can do.”

Double Eagle Restoration, LLC, was Robert Lee’s fifth attempt at building a business after the economy began to tank and his employer at the time began cutting back operations. He started to look for something that could supplement his income. After hearing about a specialized cleaning machine and training to use it from a friend, Robert Lee went to Phoenix to learn more about it. He then leased the equipment when he created his own business and eventually quit his job to grow his company. He now builds the equipment himself through his second business, Gum-B-Gone.

Double Eagle Restoration has contracts with Wal-Mart and Holloman Air Force Base. Robert Lee said PTAP and the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) both provided support in both starting and growing his companies from business planning to employee procedures and management. Robert Lee said Senior PTAP Advisor Elke Mosholder has been helpful with recommendations and keeping his business in the loop when bids came out.

For businesses interested in government contracting, Robert Lee says in the beginning it helps to do a few jobs outside your scope of work or do it at cost “just to get your name out there,” recalling a subcontract with one of the largest government contractors in the country, Hensel Phelps.

“We didn’t want to be janitors but we hired a guy to take care of the trailers for the two and half years that we worked with Hensel Phelps,” Robert Lee said. “We don’t normally do that work, we still don’t do it, but then we could get on base (Holloman), move around and show them what we could do.

“I don’t think we would have found those contracts without the help of PTAP,” he said.

In 2009, Double Eagle Restoration was honored as the Alamogordo Chamber of Commerce Business of the Year. The Lees are embarking on a new business venture with the U.S. manufacturing of a machine that sanitizes and deodorizes water without chemicals.

“Without the help of people at PTAP and SBDC, we probably wouldn’t be here today,” he said.